Keep tomato plants bug-free with homemade insect repellent.
As warm-season vegetables that require long growing periods, tomatoes are at a disadvantage when it comes to pests. They thrive in the same conditions that are favorable to aphids, flea beetles, leaf miners and a number of other insects that attack and often damage the plants. Because tomatoes are edible, the use of control methods that don't have an adverse effect on your health is paramount. Although some commercial pesticides are labeled for use on vegetable plants, start out by spraying a nontoxic homemade repellent. It might be all you need to keep the bugs off your plants. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Puree 1 garlic head in 1 gallon of water, using a blender or food processor. A head of garlic is an entire bulb of cloves.
2. Strain the liquid blend with a sieve and discard the garlic pieces.
3. Pour the garlic solution in a spray bottle.
4. Spray the entire foliage on tomato plants, including the undersides of leaves, to repel aphids and other small insects, such as flea beetles.
Tags: flea beetles, tomato plants